37 Tex. Admin. Code § 651.203 - Forensic Subject to Commission Licensing; Categories of Licensure
(a) Forensic analysis/recognized
accreditation. This section describes the forensic disciplines for which
accreditation by an accrediting body recognized by the Commission is required
by Article 38.01, Code of Criminal Procedure and for which licensing is
therefore also required.
(b) By
discipline. An individual may apply to the Commission for a Forensic Analyst
License for one or more of the disciplines set forth in this section. The
specific requirements for obtaining a license in any of the following
disciplines may differ depending upon the categories of analysis within the
discipline for which the individual is qualified to perform independent
casework as set forth in §
651.207 of this subchapter
(relating to Forensic Analyst Licensing Requirements Including License Term,
Fee and Procedure for Denial of Application and Reconsideration). An
individual's license shall designate the category or categories of licensure
for which the individual has been approved for independent casework and for
which the individual has met the requirements set forth in §
651.207 of this subchapter as
follows:
(1) Seized Drugs. Categories of
analysis may include one or more of the following: qualitative determination,
quantitative measurement, weight measurement, and volume measurement;
Categories of Licensure: Seized Drugs Analyst; Seized Drugs
Technician;
(2) Toxicology.
Categories of analysis may include one or more of the following: qualitative
determination and quantitative measurement; Categories of Licensure: Toxicology
Analyst Alcohol only (Non-interpretive); Toxicology Analyst (General,
Non-interpretive); Toxicologist (Interpretive); Toxicology
Technician;
(3) Forensic Biology.
Categories of analysis may include one or more of the following: DNA-STR,
DNA-YSTR, DNA-Mitochondrial, DNA-massively parallel sequencing, body fluid
identification, relationship testing, microbiology, individual characteristic
database, and nucleic acids other than human DNA; Categories of Licensure: DNA
Analyst; Forensic Biology Screening Analyst; Analyst of Nucleic Acids other
than Human DNA; Forensic Biology Technician;
(4) Firearms/Toolmarks. Categories of
analysis may include one or more of the following: physical comparison,
determination of functionality, length measurement, trigger pull force
measurement, qualitative chemical determination, distance determination,
ejection pattern determination, product (make/model) determination; Categories
of Licensure: Firearms/Toolmarks Analyst; Firearms/Toolmarks
Technician;
(5) Materials (Trace).
Categories of analysis may include one or more of the following: physical
determination, chemical determination, chemical comparison, product
(make/model) determination, gunshot residue analysis, footwear and tire tread
analysis, and fire debris and explosives analysis (qualitative determination);
Categories of Licensure: Materials (Trace) Analyst; Materials (Trace)
Technician.
(c)
Cross-disciplines. A laboratory may choose to assign a particular discipline or
category of analysis to a different administrative section or unit in the
laboratory than the designation set forth in this subchapter. Though an
individual may perform a category of analysis under a different administrative
section or unit in the laboratory, the individual still shall comply with the
requirements for the discipline or category of analysis as outlined in this
subchapter.
(d) Analysts and
Technicians Performing Forensic Analysis on Behalf of the United States
Government. Any forensic analyst or technician who performs forensic analysis
on behalf of a publicly funded laboratory or law enforcement entity operating
under the authority of the United States Government is deemed licensed to
perform forensic analysis in Texas for purposes of this subchapter.
Notes
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